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Biggles in de jungle (Vandersteen comic)/plot
It is after the events of Biggles in het verre oosten. Biggles is on holiday in Mexico City. Relaxing at a cafe, he notices a photographer snapping photos of an attractive young girl seated at the next table. The girl leaves but is followed and then attacked by a group of toughs. Biggles rushes to her aid and disposes of the assailants but then finds that the girl has disappeared. At his hotel, Biggles finds a note from the girl, thanking him for his help but telling him to forget about the incident. Intrigued, tracks down the photograph but arrives at his apartment to find that an unknown intruder has coshed him in the head. Biggles spots the assailant outside the window. A rooftop ensues which ends with assailant falling to his death. Biggles retrieves a negative from the assailant and shows the developed photo to the Chief of Police in Mexico City. The Chief identifies the girl as one Jennifer Harland, an American who arrived a week ago from British Honduras. She had attracted Police attention when she started asking questions about "The Tiger" - a bandit chief who rules a private empire in the jungles of British Honduras. Biggles sets off for British Honduras but it is not a trouble-free flight. The Tiger's spies in Mexico City learn of his trip and plant a bomb on the plane. Fortunately the police discover this and warn the pilots. Biggles discovers the bomb just in time. Arriving in the British Honduras, Biggles is hosted by Carruthers, an old acquaintance, and his wife. They tell him how two American treasure hunters have disappeared in the jungle and are suspected to have been captured by the Tiger. Biggles is about to show Carruthers the photo of Jennifer when a shot is fired and the room is plunged into darkness. Mrs Carruthers switches on another light and they discover that an intruder has taken the photo! They rush out of the house and see someone driving off in a red car. Mrs Carruthers tells her husband she has seen such a red car by an inn outside the city. Carruthers and Biggles go to the inn and learn that the driver of the red car is a young woman! Jennifer Harland! But why is the photo so important? Summoned by Biggles, Algy and Ginger arrive in the "Nemesis" amphibian. Biggles joins them and they take off for a survey of the jungle. They spot a cluster of three pyramids. The Carruthers had told Biggles they were near a ruined city where a treasure was believed to be and so they put down on a river to investigate. Unfortunately, a float is damaged by a log in the river and so Ginger is left behind to rrepair the aircraft while Biggles and Algy set off to explore the jungle. Ginger is busy with his repairs when he hears moans in the aircraft. He goes in to look and finds a stow-away: Jennifer Harland! He carries her outside and goes back to get food and water for her but she thanks him by taking his gun and holding him up. She tells Ginger to walk back to the aircraft but then Bogat shows up and wants to take Ginger prisoner. Jennifer shoots Bogat in the arm, forcing him to flee. Ginger picks up his rifle and pursues. When he gets back, he finds that Jeniifer has disappeared. Meanwhile Biggles and Algy spots an Indian near the pyramids, Barari. He is suspicious of all white men but begins to trust them when they save his duaghter from an anaconda. Barari tells them the Tiger gave firearms to a hostile tribe of Indians who attacked and burnt his village, enslaving the inhabitants to work for the Tiger at his camp which was not far away. He also tells them the Tiger had kidnapped the two American treasure-hunters. Biggles and Algy return to the plane and make ready for an aerial search for the Tiger's camp. Suddenly they are surrounded by the Tiger's Indian guards. Biggles escapes in the "Nemesis" but Algy and Ginger are captured and marched to the Tiger's camp where they are put to work as forced labour, excavating for the treasure. They spot Charles Roberts, under guard, directing the dig. Biggles puts the "Nemesis" down nearby and sets off after Algy and Ginger. Along the way, he spots Jennifer and decides to follow her. True enough, she leads him to the camp of the Tiger. Biggles spots the Tiger alone in his office and moves in to arrest him. However there is a surprise in store. Jennifer turns up behind him and holds him up. The Tiger seizes the moment and knocks Biggles out. Biggles wakes up in an underground chamber to find Algy, Ginger and Charles Roberts around him. They are in a secret room which the Tiger does not know about. How Biggles got there is not explained in comic strip. Jennifer climbs into the chamber and Roberts introduces her as Eddie Robert's fiancee. Jennifer tells Biggles she owes him an explanation for her actions. When she heard about Charles and Eddie disappearing, she had gone to Mexico City to try to negotiate with the Tiger for their release. Then she had to stow away on Biggles' plane to gain passage ot the Tiger's camp. She admits she played a dirty trick on Biggles by foiling his attempt to arrest the Tiger but she explaned that she had to act alone so as not to risk the lives of Eddie and Charles. But now she needs them to help Eddie, who is in grave danger. She passes Biggles Ginger's gun and leads them through underground passages towards the Tiger's camp. Along the way they discover the treasure which they had been looking for. Emerging above ground level near the Tiger's camp, Biggles spots a cage with Eddie inside, separated from a black panther by a partition. Biggles tries to free Eddie but Bogat turns up and lifts the partition, releasing the panther on Eddie, forcing Biggles to shoot the panther. Bogat now threatens to shoot Biggles with his Tommy gun but Algy shoots him first, with a rifle taken ooff a guard. The party rushes towards a staircase which leads to the excavation site. Ginger grabs Bogat's tommy gun and acts as rearguard, holding off the Tiger's guards. Part way up the stairs, the group meets the Tiger. There is an exchange of fire and the Tiger hits Biggles in the arm. Biggles has dropped his gun. The Tiger tells them they are at his mercy but Biggles takes a desparate flying leap at the TIger, knocking him off balance and sending him plunging down the chasm next to the stairs. But that is not the end of their troubles. Ginger is running out of ammunition and the guards are closing in. Fortunately, Carruthers arrives with a pilot in what looks like a Douglas Dauntless. The Dauntless strafes the Indian guards, putting an end to all opposition. Biggles tells Carruthers that the Tiger is dead, Charles and Eddie are safe, the slaves are freed and the treasure is found. Looking at Eddie with Jennifer, Ginger remarks to Algy wryly that it is Eddie who has netted the big prize. Category:Plot summaries